Tragedy and African Cosmic Reality: Readings in Wole Soyinka’s <i>Death and The Kings Horseman</i> and Esiaba Irobi’s <i>The Fronded Circle</i>

Princewill Chukwuma Abakporo

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ellc.20220702.12

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Tragedy and African Cosmic Reality: Readings in Wole Soyinka’s Death and The Kings Horseman and Esiaba Irobi’s The Fronded Circle

Princewill Chukwuma Abakporo

Published in English Language, Literature & Culture (Volume 7, Issue 2)

Received: 22 February 2022 Accepted: 23 March 2022 Published: 25 April 2022

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Abstract

It is understandable why critics like Ruth Finnegan would not see drama or theatre in the make-up of Africa due to their approach to judging African theatricality from Aristotelian templates. Africa is a unique race. Their understanding of the world and their place in it forms the bedrock on which they live and relate with both themselves and their environment. Activities of both social and sacred nature are tightly linked to survival and balance in the cosmic realms. It is on this concept that Africa upholds communalistic living against the individualistic lifestyle of the West. This paper adopted the content analysis approach to reading the concept of African tragedy in the face of Afro-cosmic realities for authors like Finnegan who saw Africa as a barbaric race devoid of theatricality. It is observed that African tragedy goes beyond the fall from grace to grass, the predetermined nature of man’s existence, and the death of the individual. Although it recognizes these concepts in part, it treats them in the light of their implications for cosmic harmony and balance as typified in Soyinka’s Death and the King’s Horseman and Esiaba Irobi’s The Fronded Circle. It concluded that any act of man that alters or attempts to alter the cyclic movement and relationship between the worlds of the living, the dead, and the unborn is tragic within the Afro-cosmic space and spells doom to survival of the erring world, not just to the individual. It is in the actions of this magnitude that African tragedy is located.

Published in	English Language, Literature & Culture (Volume 7, Issue 2)
DOI	10.11648/j.ellc.20220702.12
Page(s)	57-61
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Tragedy, Cosmic, African, Reality, Aristotle

References

[1]	Deh, Tabitha. H. To call it Tragedy or not to call it Tragedy: The Cultural Politics Involved. In European Journal of Literature, Language and Linguistics Studies. Volume 2 (1), 2018: PP, 48. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.1161798.
[2]	Tearle, Oliver. A Short Summary of Arthur Miller’s ‘Tragedy and the Common Man.’ In Interesting Literature. Available at https://interestingliterature.com/2017/10/a-short-summary-of-arthur-millers-tragedy-and-the-common-man/ Accessed 19 March 2022.
[3]	Olumbe, Duncan. “African Worldview: An Introduction. https://watumishiwaneno.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/african_worldview_introduction.pdf. Accessed 23rd April, 2019. PP, 1.
[4]	Bullivant, Brian M. Pluralism: Cultural Maintenance and Evolution. England: Multilingual Matters, 1984. PP, 13.
[5]	Okome, Green I. “The Theatre and Cultural Promotion for National Development.” In African Arts and National Development. Sam Ukala (ed.). Ibadan: Kraft Books Ltd, 2006. PP 223.
[6]	Burnett, David. Unearthly Powers: A Christian Perspective on Primal Folk Religion. Eastbourne: Marc, 1988. PP, 3.
[7]	O’Donovan, Wilbur. Biblical Christianity in African Perspective. (2nd Ed.). Carlisle: Paternoster. 1996.
[8]	Irobi, Esiaba. The Fronded Circle. Enugu: Abic Books, 2010. PP, 87.
[9]	Jeyifo, Biodun. Conversations with Wole Soyinka. USA: University of Mississippi Press, 2001. PP, 22.
[10]	Amadi Elechi. Isiburu. London: Heinemann. 1992, PP, 12.
[11]	Soyinka Wole. Death and the King’s Horseman. London: Methuen, 1978. Pp, 72.

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Princewill Chukwuma Abakporo. (2022). Tragedy and African Cosmic Reality: Readings in Wole Soyinka’s Death and The Kings Horseman and Esiaba Irobi’s The Fronded Circle. English Language, Literature & Culture, 7(2), 57-61. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ellc.20220702.12

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Princewill Chukwuma Abakporo. Tragedy and African Cosmic Reality: Readings in Wole Soyinka’s Death and The Kings Horseman and Esiaba Irobi’s The Fronded Circle. Engl. Lang. Lit. Cult. 2022, 7(2), 57-61. doi: 10.11648/j.ellc.20220702.12

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Princewill Chukwuma Abakporo. Tragedy and African Cosmic Reality: Readings in Wole Soyinka’s Death and The Kings Horseman and Esiaba Irobi’s The Fronded Circle. Engl Lang Lit Cult. 2022;7(2):57-61. doi: 10.11648/j.ellc.20220702.12

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@article{10.11648/j.ellc.20220702.12,
  author = {Princewill Chukwuma Abakporo},
  title = {Tragedy and African Cosmic Reality: Readings in Wole Soyinka’s Death and The Kings Horseman and Esiaba Irobi’s The Fronded Circle},
  journal = {English Language, Literature & Culture},
  volume = {7},
  number = {2},
  pages = {57-61},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ellc.20220702.12},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ellc.20220702.12},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ellc.20220702.12},
  abstract = {It is understandable why critics like Ruth Finnegan would not see drama or theatre in the make-up of Africa due to their approach to judging African theatricality from Aristotelian templates. Africa is a unique race. Their understanding of the world and their place in it forms the bedrock on which they live and relate with both themselves and their environment. Activities of both social and sacred nature are tightly linked to survival and balance in the cosmic realms. It is on this concept that Africa upholds communalistic living against the individualistic lifestyle of the West. This paper adopted the content analysis approach to reading the concept of African tragedy in the face of Afro-cosmic realities for authors like Finnegan who saw Africa as a barbaric race devoid of theatricality. It is observed that African tragedy goes beyond the fall from grace to grass, the predetermined nature of man’s existence, and the death of the individual. Although it recognizes these concepts in part, it treats them in the light of their implications for cosmic harmony and balance as typified in Soyinka’s Death and the King’s Horseman and Esiaba Irobi’s The Fronded Circle. It concluded that any act of man that alters or attempts to alter the cyclic movement and relationship between the worlds of the living, the dead, and the unborn is tragic within the Afro-cosmic space and spells doom to survival of the erring world, not just to the individual. It is in the actions of this magnitude that African tragedy is located.},
 year = {2022}
}

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AB  - It is understandable why critics like Ruth Finnegan would not see drama or theatre in the make-up of Africa due to their approach to judging African theatricality from Aristotelian templates. Africa is a unique race. Their understanding of the world and their place in it forms the bedrock on which they live and relate with both themselves and their environment. Activities of both social and sacred nature are tightly linked to survival and balance in the cosmic realms. It is on this concept that Africa upholds communalistic living against the individualistic lifestyle of the West. This paper adopted the content analysis approach to reading the concept of African tragedy in the face of Afro-cosmic realities for authors like Finnegan who saw Africa as a barbaric race devoid of theatricality. It is observed that African tragedy goes beyond the fall from grace to grass, the predetermined nature of man’s existence, and the death of the individual. Although it recognizes these concepts in part, it treats them in the light of their implications for cosmic harmony and balance as typified in Soyinka’s Death and the King’s Horseman and Esiaba Irobi’s The Fronded Circle. It concluded that any act of man that alters or attempts to alter the cyclic movement and relationship between the worlds of the living, the dead, and the unborn is tragic within the Afro-cosmic space and spells doom to survival of the erring world, not just to the individual. It is in the actions of this magnitude that African tragedy is located.
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Author Information

Princewill Chukwuma Abakporo

Theatre Arts Program, Bowen University, Iwo, Nigeria

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Princewill Chukwuma Abakporo. (2022). Tragedy and African Cosmic Reality: Readings in Wole Soyinka’s Death and The Kings Horseman and Esiaba Irobi’s The Fronded Circle. English Language, Literature & Culture, 7(2), 57-61. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ellc.20220702.12

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ACS Style

Princewill Chukwuma Abakporo. Tragedy and African Cosmic Reality: Readings in Wole Soyinka’s Death and The Kings Horseman and Esiaba Irobi’s The Fronded Circle. Engl. Lang. Lit. Cult. 2022, 7(2), 57-61. doi: 10.11648/j.ellc.20220702.12

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Princewill Chukwuma Abakporo. Tragedy and African Cosmic Reality: Readings in Wole Soyinka’s Death and The Kings Horseman and Esiaba Irobi’s The Fronded Circle. Engl Lang Lit Cult. 2022;7(2):57-61. doi: 10.11648/j.ellc.20220702.12

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@article{10.11648/j.ellc.20220702.12,
  author = {Princewill Chukwuma Abakporo},
  title = {Tragedy and African Cosmic Reality: Readings in Wole Soyinka’s Death and The Kings Horseman and Esiaba Irobi’s The Fronded Circle},
  journal = {English Language, Literature & Culture},
  volume = {7},
  number = {2},
  pages = {57-61},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ellc.20220702.12},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ellc.20220702.12},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ellc.20220702.12},
  abstract = {It is understandable why critics like Ruth Finnegan would not see drama or theatre in the make-up of Africa due to their approach to judging African theatricality from Aristotelian templates. Africa is a unique race. Their understanding of the world and their place in it forms the bedrock on which they live and relate with both themselves and their environment. Activities of both social and sacred nature are tightly linked to survival and balance in the cosmic realms. It is on this concept that Africa upholds communalistic living against the individualistic lifestyle of the West. This paper adopted the content analysis approach to reading the concept of African tragedy in the face of Afro-cosmic realities for authors like Finnegan who saw Africa as a barbaric race devoid of theatricality. It is observed that African tragedy goes beyond the fall from grace to grass, the predetermined nature of man’s existence, and the death of the individual. Although it recognizes these concepts in part, it treats them in the light of their implications for cosmic harmony and balance as typified in Soyinka’s Death and the King’s Horseman and Esiaba Irobi’s The Fronded Circle. It concluded that any act of man that alters or attempts to alter the cyclic movement and relationship between the worlds of the living, the dead, and the unborn is tragic within the Afro-cosmic space and spells doom to survival of the erring world, not just to the individual. It is in the actions of this magnitude that African tragedy is located.},
 year = {2022}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Tragedy and African Cosmic Reality: Readings in Wole Soyinka’s Death and The Kings Horseman and Esiaba Irobi’s The Fronded Circle
AU  - Princewill Chukwuma Abakporo
Y1  - 2022/04/25
PY  - 2022
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DO  - 10.11648/j.ellc.20220702.12
T2  - English Language, Literature & Culture
JF  - English Language, Literature & Culture
JO  - English Language, Literature & Culture
SP  - 57
EP  - 61
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2575-2413
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ellc.20220702.12
AB  - It is understandable why critics like Ruth Finnegan would not see drama or theatre in the make-up of Africa due to their approach to judging African theatricality from Aristotelian templates. Africa is a unique race. Their understanding of the world and their place in it forms the bedrock on which they live and relate with both themselves and their environment. Activities of both social and sacred nature are tightly linked to survival and balance in the cosmic realms. It is on this concept that Africa upholds communalistic living against the individualistic lifestyle of the West. This paper adopted the content analysis approach to reading the concept of African tragedy in the face of Afro-cosmic realities for authors like Finnegan who saw Africa as a barbaric race devoid of theatricality. It is observed that African tragedy goes beyond the fall from grace to grass, the predetermined nature of man’s existence, and the death of the individual. Although it recognizes these concepts in part, it treats them in the light of their implications for cosmic harmony and balance as typified in Soyinka’s Death and the King’s Horseman and Esiaba Irobi’s The Fronded Circle. It concluded that any act of man that alters or attempts to alter the cyclic movement and relationship between the worlds of the living, the dead, and the unborn is tragic within the Afro-cosmic space and spells doom to survival of the erring world, not just to the individual. It is in the actions of this magnitude that African tragedy is located.
VL  - 7
IS  - 2
ER  -

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